The Amazing Benefits of Minimalism

There is beauty in simplicity, and minimalism is a way of living that perfectly captures and showcases that sentiment.

Minimalism starts off with minimizing your possessions but as you delve deeper, you start to appreciate all the different positive benefits that come along with adopting this lifestyle. If you’re just starting out, check out my post on how to get started with minimalism.

Without further ado, here are some of the many benefits that I’ve experienced in my own minimalism journey.

The feeling of joy knowing I’m surrounded by things I love.

Before I became a minimalist, more often than not, my space would feel cluttered and stressful. I owned many things I didn’t particularly care for. I also bought a lot of useless junk that would catch my eye when I went out shopping only to end up in some dark corner of my closet.

These days, things are different – every time I look around my home, I see things that I truly love! Every item I own is something that sparks joy inside my soul, from the pen I own, to the beautiful artwork I have hanging on my walls. As a result, my home truly feels like my own personal sanctuary.

The intention that goes into every purchase.

Pre-minimalism, I would waste a lot of money on material things without really thinking about why I was purchasing something and whether or not it would even serve a functional role in my life.

For example, I would buy decor items because they looked pretty even if they didn’t match the overall theme of my home and even if I had nowhere in my house to really put that piece. I never envisioned a home for anything I owned before I bought it. I also bought a lot of cheap things that were made of low quality and I knew wouldn’t last very long.

Now, as a minimalist, things are different. If I want to buy something, I put it on my wishlist for a few days or even weeks. If I still want that item a few days later, then I buy it. I also research things that I want to buy and try to find things that are high quality, will last me a long time and things that I know I’m going to use and/or will add value to my life in some way.

With more intention going into every purchase, not only do I have items that I truly love, but I end up buying less things which in turn also makes my wallet very happy.

Life is simpler in terms of time, money, chores, and obligations.

Being brought up in a very consumerism-centric world, we often don’t realize how much mental and emotional energy owning stuff actually utilizes. Once I pared down my belongings, I was surprised by how much simpler my life started to become. Cleaning up my place is so quick and easy now because I know exactly where every item needs to go and I don’t have a lot of things to move around while cleaning in the first place.

I also have more money because I don’t make frivolous purchases anymore and only spend money on objects and experiences that mean something to me. Bills are easier to pay because I’ve switched over to more minimal methods of handling them such as going paperless and using auto-pay.

More importantly, I have more of the most important asset we all have: Time. I have more time to focus on things that make me happy such as reading and traveling.

I’m more at peace and have less worries.

This one goes hand in hand with my previous point. Leading a more simplified lifestyle, I’m more at peace and have far less worries. A few years ago, when I moved out of my studio apartment, the whole process was extremely stressful because I had too much stuff to move, and it was hard selling some of my bigger furniture items in time. Now, if I need to move, I know it’ll take me less than an hour or two at most to do so since my stuff is organized and there’s no last-minute decluttering because that’s something I do regularly already.

That’s just one example. Another good example is budgeting. Since I’ve cut out unintentional spending, I’m able to stick to my budget easier than ever before, which means my bills get paid on time and I know exactly how much is in my bank account at any given time. I have fewer financial worries even when money is extremely tight.

Minimalism has helped me plan better, get more organized and get my priorities on track and that has resulted in more peace and fewer worries.

I don’t compare myself to others as much anymore.

I think it’s natural for us to compare ourselves to our peers once in a while, and it can even be a healthy thing if the comparison comes from a place of wanting to be inspired and motivated in your own life. However it’s easy to slip into unhealthy patterns of comparison where comparing yourself becomes a constant thought in the back of your head and you’re constantly striving to materially outdo people in your sphere of influence.

In fact, our current economic system is built around comparison and thrives on individuals feeling like they have to have the perfect house, the perfect car, and the perfect everything and have to constantly economically outdo all their friends and family.

Minimalism helped me break out of that negative loop. I’m content with what I have and my ambition is based around what brings me happiness, not what society says should bring me happiness. I don’t feel the need to constantly compare myself to people that I know or even people on social media. I have my own personal definition of success and don’t have to try to live up to anyone else’s version of it.

My space is more visually appealing.

Since I don’t own a lot of things, it’s very easy to keep my place tidy. As a result of adopting a more minimalist outlook on life, I’ve conquered a lot of bad habits that used to lead to a lot of clutter in my life such as washing the dishes later instead of right after finishing my meals.

I’ve formed healthy new habits such as making my bed right after getting out of bed which is something I never did before. I’m good at putting things away back in their home after using them. Because of all these small habit changes that minimalism has brought on, my place is almost always very visually appealing.

I have more time and money for experiences.

Lastly, I finally have more time and money for life experiences! As I slowly adopted a minimalist mindset, I started to evaluate everything in life in terms of what value it provided to me. I was able to shift my focus from a place of fear to a place of possibility. When you cut out the unnecessary from your life, you realize that a lot of your bucket list items may actually be within your grasp.

I no longer buy tons of clothes or pieces of furniture I really don’t need. I don’t need to have the newest and shiniest car. Instead, I love saving that money for things like aerial yoga and travel – things that one day I’ll be able to look back on and feel so happy to know that I lived my life to the fullest instead of working it away to fill my house with meaningless pieces of metal.

Minimalism teaches you how to free up more time and by adopting a philosophy of owning less, you automatically spend less as well. Combine the extra time and money, and you finally have the means to go out and experience life more deeply.

These are some of the benefits that I’ve experienced in my own personal journey with minimalism and there are countless others that I didn’t mention here. I believe that minimalism is something everybody can benefit from. Becoming more mindful of what you chose to own is extremely empowering and freeing. There is a unique kind of beauty in simplicity.

If you’re into minimalism, let me know which benefits from this list you can relate to in the comments down below!

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About Me

Hi! My name is Jasmine and I'm a lifestyle blogger from San Francisco. Heart of Avocado is a blog about lifestyle and personal growth! I share weekly knowledge and inspiration on topics such as self-love and minimalism to help you become your best self and live a more fulfilling life!